Dolores County board appoints three directors to Rico Cemetery District

Chair convened the meeting and the board heard a public update on the Valley Rico Cemetery (referred to in the record as the Rico Cemetery District). A community representative summarized recent cleanup and inventory work supported by Rico Center grants and said the district was updating bylaws and seeking to clarify property boundaries that may span multiple owners, including the U.S. Forest Service.

The speaker asked the board to appoint three directors to the cemetery district to ensure quarterly meetings and formal compliance. The board discussed statutory terms and whether directors could be elected by the district or must be appointed by the commissioners; staff said the statute provides for the board to fill vacancies and recommended staggered terms to maintain continuity.

Chair moved and the board approved appointing Genevieve (two‑year term) and then approved appointments of Mary Hagan (four years) and Erin Johnson (six years) to the Rico Cemetery District. Commissioners discussed using an MOU or similar written agreement to define the relationship between the nonprofit that runs day‑to‑day operations and the statutory cemetery district, and staff said bylaws are being redrafted and quarterly meetings will be set.

The public commenter described a website that inventories gravesites and allows historical annotations; the board asked for an annual or periodic report to keep cemetery activity from being lost in the county’s workload. The speaker said the group expects to cover most ordinary costs through grants and small donations but will return to the board if county funds are required.

The board’s action: appointments were made by motion and voice vote (no roll‑call tallies recorded in the transcript).